By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) federal executive has unanimously resolved to terminate suspended MP Renaldo Gouws’ party membership.
The party announced the news of his termination as a party member in a statement on Friday afternoon.
“The party said that its federal executive council unanimously resolved to sack him from the party with immediate effect, saying that he violated several sections of its constitution in the damning footage.” He therefore forfeits his DA seat in parliament.
The decision followed a thorough investigation conducted by the DA’s federal legal commission (FLC) into the allegations against Gouws.
He was suspended in June over his “racist rants” which surfaced on social media days after his swearing in as Member of Parliament. The party said it established the video, in which Gouws uses “execrable language”, was genuine and not fake as initially suspected.
The party said, it remained committed to upholding its values of accountability, nonracialism and respect for all South Africans.
Meanwhile the party has rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proposal of a three-month consultation period over sections in the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill and said the DA will proceed with court action on the adoption of the Bill.
“The DA has instructed its lawyers to continue to prepare for court action on both the process leading to the adoption of the Bela Bill, as well as its substance, on constitutional grounds,” DA leader John Steenhuisen said in response to the president’s announcement.
Ramaphosa signed the Bela Bill into law on Friday but said he will delay the implementation of two clauses — clauses 4 and 5 — for three months for negotiations with parties in the government of national unity (GNU) who have rejected its contents.
Ramaphosa’s move is an attempt to create some breathing space for both himself and the DA over the Bill, the signing of which was boycotted by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa and Steenhuisen publicly allayed fears that tensions of the Bill could collapse the GNU ahead of the signing of the Bill, and the president’s opening of a window for negotiation in his speech at the signing indicates his intention to allow the parties a chance to find each other over the next three months.
But Steenhuisen said in a statement responding to the president’s announcement that the DA would now go the legal route and have the Bill declared unconstitutional.